The BC Hotel Association is asking for urgent assistance for its hotels and their employees amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

President and CEO Ingrid Jarrett, who runs the Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos, says many hotels need about 20 per cent occupancy to keep the lights on, and says the margins are much smaller than that.

“We’ve seen a drop from between 70 and 80 per cent occupancy down to the single digits, and we’ve seen that change in occupancy occur in a 72-hour period. That is almost impossible to fathom, when you think that we have – within British Columbia – over 700 hotels that span the province,” she said on Wednesday, while speaking on NL Newsday on Radio NL.

Jarrett says the association is asking for expanded employment insurance supports for employees, and access to a similar fund for hotel operators who are not eligible for EI.

“Our priority is liquidity. These businesses all needed to remain liquid. And all of these asks, or even a portion of them, could well make a difference as to whether or not they are able to keep their doors open once this is behind us.”

(Photo: coasthotels.com)